1" Bulkheads, Anyone?

[seravitae]

Hey guys,

Brew rig is coming along slowly but surely... About to purcahse 1/2" bulkheads for connecting mashout/mashin etc, but having some trouble locating bigger food grade bulkheads.

The element I want to put in my kettle is a Grimwood 1" BSP NICROFER (incoloy) element. I can't seem to find any 1" bulkheads that i can use to mount the element in.



So yeah, if anyone knows where i can get SS/brass foodgrade bulkheads, 1", or where i can get decent elements (2000-2400W) with a smaller BSP thread, hit me up.

PS: I have considered, and I don't want to use an over-the-side element


cheers

EDIT: I see grimwood also sells spiral elements that look like the exposed elements from urns, that seem to have a nut and washer (bulkhead) built in, like this :

Has anyone mounted a replacement urn element like this into a stock pot? Or replaced their urn element?
It seems, from the picture of the replacement element I have, that you simply remove the retainer hex nut, pop the element through, and put the hex nut on the outside and tighten it.

This might be the way to go seeing as I can sacrifice paying for two whole bulkheads just by drilling one more hole..

 

[pjwhite5]

Sera,

for SS bits and pieces try these guys, T & S VALVES AND FITTINGS SUPPLIES Pty Ltd. 2/21 Stennett Road, Ingleburn 2565 (02) 9605 8222

Check their website, and download the cattalogue and check pg 22 and 23. the reducing hex bush is what i used and it works a treat, with a grimwood 3200Watt element.

www.tsvalves.com.au/catalogue.html

Cede

 

[seravitae]

I have considered using reducing bushings except since I dont have access to SS welding, there's the issue of how to seal the fitting - what kind of gasket are you using?.
Also do you remember a rough price for it? I'm in QLD so i might have to get a mate to buy one and ship it up.

 

[pjwhite5]

Sera,

any engineering workshop would be able to weld it up for you, usually fairly cheap, some will do it for some home brew.

from memory these guys are all over the place with prices, but I think I only paid about 5 or 6 dollars for it. but in saying that I bought 3 piece SS 3/4 inch valves for about 13.50 each for 2 then when I went to buy more a week later they sold for $16 odd. I'm not complaining about the prices I think all prices were good, but they are all over the place.

The gasket I'm using is the rubber seal that come with the grimwood element.

Good luck

Cede

 

[hockadays]

Get it welded, I just had a 2in socket welded onto my HLT and the element just screws in. Done once now I don't have to worry. I even got the 3600w element made up with a stainless boss so I don't have to worry about corrosion from diff metals down the track. On the grain and grape site they have a socket that would suit there 2200w element that looks about 1in wide maybe that is what your after. good luck

 

[Wortgames]

Has anyone mounted a replacement urn element like this into a stock pot? Or replaced their urn element?
It seems, from the picture of the replacement element I have, that you simply remove the retainer hex nut, pop the element through, and put the hex nut on the outside and tighten it.

Hi Sera, this is the type of element I use in a keg hlt. It was dead easy to install, 2 small holes and a bit of soldering.

Obviously you need to get the 2 holes in the right place. The element can be bent/stretched out to correct a few mm easily enough but I wouldn't want to be seriously reshaping it.

Only other thing to be aware of is the length that the 'tails' extend beyond the bottom. On the keg I just screwed 4 rubber feet into the bottom rim and that holds it high enough off the bench to clear the tails. On a pot you don't really have this option, so you'll need to look at welding some feet on or using some kind of frame/spacer arrangement. Maybe you could find another pot/frying pan etc with a similar diameter and turn it upside down to use as a base.

Probably easier to get a fitting welded in though.

 

[absinthe]

i use a 1500W urn element (like in the first pic) in my herms heat exchanger and it works great..

 

[seravitae]

Hi Sera, this is the type of element I use in a keg hlt. It was dead easy to install, 2 small holes and a bit of soldering.

Obviously you need to get the 2 holes in the right place. The element can be bent/stretched out to correct a few mm easily enough but I wouldn't want to be seriously reshaping it.

Only other thing to be aware of is the length that the 'tails' extend beyond the bottom. On the keg I just screwed 4 rubber feet into the bottom rim and that holds it high enough off the bench to clear the tails. On a pot you don't really have this option, so you'll need to look at welding some feet on or using some kind of frame/spacer arrangement. Maybe you could find another pot/frying pan etc with a similar diameter and turn it upside down to use as a base.

Probably easier to get a fitting welded in though.

Okay cool... Could you provide more details on the 'bit of soldering' required? If it's an SS pot you used, then I don't really understand what you were soldering to and where... Also, for the issue of having feet, I was going to get some metal shelving to put everything on as a stand, and was going to cut out a hole so that the pot rests on the shelf but the element connections and stuff poke through a hole in the shelf.

Thanks to those suggesting getting it welded.. Normally I would love to but.. Without getting into a long story, I have access to a machine shop on weekends so drilling precise/accurate holes is not a problem, however getting SS welding job done isn't something I can have arranged at the moment (issues on my side).

 

[seravitae]

That is, unless an AHB'er or something in qld/brisbane can do the minor SS welding for me on a weekend.

 

[hockadays]

I would help you if I could weld..I send my stuff out to a mate who does sanitry welding..

 

[seravitae]

heh thx for the support.